TAMPA, Fla. — The hockey season may be over but the buzz about next year never sleeps.
The National Hockey League announced schedules for the 2021-2022 regular season, and the defending Stanley Cup champs Tampa Bay Lightning will be kicking things off.
The Lightning are scheduled to open the season on Tuesday, Oct. 12 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena. That's when the team will raise the 2021 Stanley Cup banner.
And, there's plenty of other matchups to keep an eye on during the 82-game season.
One of those includes a game against the newest expansion team, the Seattle Kraken. The Lightning lost Yanni Gourde to the team earlier this week in the expansion draft.
On top of playing each team in their division four times, the Bolts will also take the ice against each team in the Metropolitan Division three times and each Western Conference opponent twice.
2021-22 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
- 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 at Pittsburgh
- Thu. Oct 14 At Detroit
- Sat. Oct 16 At Washington
- Tue. Oct 19 Florida
- Sat. Oct 23 Colorado
- Mon. Oct 25 At Buffalo
- Tue. Oct 26 At Pittsburgh
- Thu. Oct 28 Arizona
- Mon. Nov 1 Washington
- Tue. Nov 2 At Florida
- Thu. Nov 4 At Toronto
- Sat. Nov 6 At Ottawa
- Thu. Jan 13 Vancouver
- Tue. Nov 9 Carolina
- Sat. Nov 13 Florida
- Mon. Nov 15 NY Islanders
- Thu. Nov 18 At Philadelphia
- Sat. Nov 20 New Jersey
- Sun. Nov 21 Minnesota
- Tue. Nov. 23 Philadelphia
- Fri. Nov 26 Seattle
- Sun. Nov 28 At Minnesota
- Tue. Nov 30 At St. Louis
- Thu. Dec 2 St. Louis
- Sat. Dec 4 At Boston
- Sun. Dec 5 At Philadelphia
- Tue. Dec 7 At Montreal
- Thu. Dec 9 At Toronto
- Sat. Dec 11 At Ottawa
- Tue. Dec 14 Los Angeles
- Thu. Dec 16 Ottawa
- Sat. Dec 18 At Colorado
- Tue. Dec 21 At Vegas
- Thu. Dec 23 At Arizona
- Tue. Dec 28 Montreal
- Fri. Dec 31 NY Rangers
- Sun. Jan 2 At NY Rangers
- Tue. Jan 4 At Columbus
- Thu. Jan 6 Calgary
- Sat. Jan 8 Boston
- Mon. Jan 10 At New Jersey
- Tue. Jan 11 At Buffalo
- Sat. Jan 15 Dallas
- Tue. Jan 18 At Los Angeles
- Fri. Jan 21 At Anaheim
- Sat. Jan 22 At San Jose
- Thu. Jan 27 New Jersey
- Sat. Jan 29 Vegas
- Tue. Feb 1 San Jose
- Wed. Feb 23 Edmonton
- Sat. Feb 26 At Nashville
- Tue. Mar 1 Ottawa
- Thu. Mar 3 Pittsburgh
- Fri. Mar 4 Detroit
- Sun. Mar 6 At Chicago
- Tue. Mar 8 At Winnipeg
- Thu. Mar 10 At Calgary
- Sat. Mar 12 At Edmonton
- Sun. Mar 13 At Vancouver
- Wed. Mar 16 At Seattle
- Sat. Mar 19 NY Rangers
- Tue. Mar 22 At Carolina
- Thu. Mar 24 At Boston
- Sat. Mar 26 At Detroit
- Sun. Mar 27 At NY Islanders
- Tue. Mar 29 Carolina
- Fri. April 1 Chicago
- Sat. April 2 Montreal
- Mon. April 4 Toronto
- Wed. April 6 At Washington
- Fri. April 8 Boston
- Sun. April 10 Buffalo
- Tue. April 12 At Dallas
- Thu. April 14 Anaheim
- Sat. April 16 Winnipeg
- Tue. April 19 Detroit
- Thu. April 21 Toronto
- Sat. April 23 Nashville
- Sun. April 24 At Florida
- Tue. April 26 Columbus
- Thu. April 28 At NY Islanders
- Fri. April 29 At Columbus
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